Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1491904
TWIN RIVERS: Commitment to students fuels contract win Twin Rivers United Educators (TRUE) ratified an agreement in January that invests in student supports and the recruitment and retention of educators. With massive staffing shortages impacting every school in the district, TRUE members knew that the out- come of the bargain was critical for every Twin Rivers student and their families. In that vein, TRUE showed an unwavering commitment to their students and love for education with every decision they made. During the campaign, TRUE held massive rallies with the Twin Rivers community to win the resources their students deserve, and even garnered a supportive message from Twister Sister front man Dee Snider, who encouraged educators "not to take it anymore." Highlights of TRUE's victory include: • 18 percent salary increase over three years • Additional 10 percent increase to early childhood educators • Salary schedule parity for Adult Education • Increases to district contributions for all health care plans. • Removal of 10-year cap on experience credit • Miscarriage and stillbirth codified as part of bereavement leave • Increase in overages payment to incentivize smaller class size SAN DIEGO: High Tech Education Collective wins first contract ever In an historic victory, High Tech Education Collective (HTEC) members rat- ified their first-ever contract in January, ending a lengthy two-year struggle that saw educators organize a union at the successful San Diego-area High Tech High charter school network and rally to win a guaranteed voice for their students. About 400 High Tech High (HTH) educators formed HTEC during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, unionizing 16 schools at four cam- puses in San Diego County. High Tech High management dragged their feet throughout the organizing and bargaining process, but the unity of HTEC members powered the local to the win. "Our schools were founded on liberatory design principles, but the history of HTH has excluded the voice of educators in ensuring these principles exist in practice," said HTEC President Hayden Gore. "We realized that we can't truly have equity without the ability to organize and collectively advo- cate for our classrooms through our union." Formerly at-will employees subject to immediate dismissal with virtually no recourse, HTEC educators won "for cause dismissal" language after a three-year probationary period. HTEC won a 10.28 percent pay increase retroactive to July of last year, as well as a retroactive retention bonus to help address the longstanding problem of educators leaving HTH. HTEC also won contract language guaranteeing lunch breaks and 10 days of sick leave that carries over year-to-year, as well as three days of personal necessity leave. High Tech educators won caps on class sizes, including special educa- tion caseloads. The new contract also provides a wage replacement benefit that offsets the gap between State Disability Insurance and a member 's salary for up to six weeks, effectively creating a six-week paid maternity leave program for educators. Finally, HTEC will participate in a joint committee to create a process for evaluating educators, as no official system existed previously. 36 cta.org Advocacy